


Promise

by sgtfarron



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Death, F/F, Fix-It, I had to try to fix it, Inplications of a metaphysical reality, Mention of Suicidal Ideation, OF, Somehow, Spoilers, bear is there so its all good, brief mentions, but that's oka its BETTER THAT WAY, clearly my version of these characters are now an au, mild angst but mostly bittersweet, only slight ambiguity if you pick up on it, resolved and not sad end (imo), spoilers for 5.10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 15:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7059250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgtfarron/pseuds/sgtfarron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Promise me.” It comes out more rough than you intend, but you are deadly serious.</p><p>She turns to you, the small crease in her brow giving away her surprise at the sudden turn to seriousness (and it makes sense as she has no idea just where your mind has been for last ten minutes while she enjoyed every present peaceful moment).</p><p>“What is it, Sameen?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so here is my attempt at fixing what has come to pass. As we all know, in my already established fic-verse everyone makes it out "happily". 
> 
> There are two possible interpretations for understanding what is happening in this story, though, but both are valid. Feel free to let me know after you finish if you've picked up on the 'alternate' understanding (I may have been too subtle), I'd like to know. Hope you enjoy your fix it sgtfarron style.

You remember the worst things at the worst times, sometimes. A nice afternoon can be ruined in a matter of moments because your mind slips back to something long past.

It’s a near perfect day. You don't recall how long you've been here so far, but Root is still sat next to you on the park bench. Bear is still chasing ducks at the edge of the pond, but you? You’re miles from here (in your head anyway), and not in the present. You’re remembering the day that Root was weirdly…metaphysical.

It was weird, she had even incorporated it into her flirting, but you pushed the strangeness to the back of your mind in the moment. Things had started to escalate quickly, too quickly really for you to properly keep up, and you had only just made it back so you weren’t on steady ground yet. Maybe if you had had more time it would have stood out more strongly then, maybe you would have called her out on it; as it were it didn’t come back to you until after you’d convinced her to leave you; to let you draw the Samaritan agents’ fire while she got Finch to safety.

She sounded like she was trying to comfort someone with that talk; that someone you assumed to be you, but you didn’t need comforting – Just knowing you got an end where you went out guns blazing to protect the people you cared about? That’s all you needed. You were struggling with reality but if this was real then you were doing what needed to be done. She said it was for you, couched it in the language of ‘simulations’ but – but she sounded…Wistful, resolved and ready for something.

It was hard to imagine that something was really your death or possible death in that firefight considering the two of you had so recently played a game a suicidal chicken because she was so un-okay with the idea.

So it had to be about herself. About her telling you she was okay with that. You never confronted her on it since she made it out of that shit hurt, but alive, and chalked it up to the fact that the world was in a sense falling down around you all.

But this isn’t the first time that you thought that maybe her number had been up that day. That The Machine had told her, in no uncertain terms, that her time was almost out and that her chances of survival in the unfolding events were critically low, but Root had chosen not share that information.  

You’ve turned to Root and are now watching her watch Bear and also flick her gaze from person to person passing in the park. The sun is making things in the distance almost seem fuzzy around the edges. Odd. Root has a faraway look on her face and is humming to herself every few moments and you know The Machine is talking to her, telling her all about the people around you, and that she loves it. It’s such a beautiful day that it seems almost unreal. You try to keep your mind from that. Instead you nudge her hand where it rest next to yours on the bench.

“Promise me.” It comes out more rough than you intend, but you are deadly serious.

She turns to you, the small crease in her brow giving away her surprise at the sudden turn to seriousness (and it makes sense as she has no idea just where your mind has been for last ten minutes while she enjoyed every present peaceful moment).

“What is it, Sameen?”

You hold off for a few moments but give her hand a quick squeeze.

“Promise me. If your number is up, you’ll tell me.”

You watch her eyes flicker over your face and the sadness appearing in her eyes even as she tries to cover it with a smile. The moment stretches on.

“I promise.”

It’s a sweet, sweet lie and you swallow it with greed. At least now you know she’ll weigh your desire to know next time, even if she decides against it. You look away, out into the park and nod your head a couple times slightly to signal you accept the answer. You entwine your fingers with hers like she did in the safe house on that day long past, the other you use to whistle.

“Bear, heir!” You yell out and watch Bear come bounding over tail wagging like crazy and you can’t help the smirk that comes to your face.

“Bear has traumatized enough wildlife for one day, don’t ya think?” Out of the corner of your eye you can tell Root still looks uncertain. You stand when Bear stops at your feet, tugging Root gently to her feet after you. When she has latched Bear’s lead to his collar and hands it over to you, you look at her again. The sun is bright, almost too bright. Curious.

“I’m feeling like a sandwich from Park’s Deli; that good enough for you?”

You don’t expect her eyes to get a bit wet when she smiles, but they do.

“Yeah, Sameen,” she replies, “That’s good enough for me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope it wasn't a disappointment. Thinking Root knew helps give me some peace with all the heavy foreshadowing that happen throughout the episode since it wasn't really situational foreshadowing as it was everything she kept pushing in her dialogue. Felt a lot like a 'coming to terms' set up, that may or may not be actually canonically the purpose of the speeches (it may have just been due to the time crunch) but that's okay. 
> 
> I don't know when next i'll be able to churn out another fic for this couple/show/characters. It's hard because I draw so heavily from cannon in my interpretations of these characters and to know that these last three episodes are going to exist with a universe where Root is already gone and the other characters keep going for a while just throws everything off for a bit.


End file.
